''Taxodium ascendens'', also known as pond cypress, is a

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

conifer Conifers () are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a sin ...

of the genus ''

Taxodium ''Taxodium'' is a genus of one to three species (depending on taxonomic opinion) of extremely flood-tolerant conifers in the cypress family, Cupressaceae. The name is derived from the Latin word ''taxus'', meaning " yew", and the Greek word ' ...

'', native to North America. Many

botanist Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

s treat it as a

variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

of bald cypress, ''

Taxodium distichum ''Taxodium distichum'' (baldcypress, bald-cypress, bald cypress, swamp cypress; ; ''cipre'' in Louisiana) is a deciduous conifer in the family Cupressaceae. It is native to the southeastern United States. Hardy and tough, this tree adapts to a ...

'' (as ''T. distichum'' var. ''imbricatum'') rather than as a distinct species, but it differs in

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

, occurring mainly in still

blackwater river A blackwater river is a type of River#Classification, river with a slow-moving channel flowing through forested swamps or wetlands. Most major blackwater rivers are in the Amazon Basin and the Southern United States. The term is used in fluvial ...

s, ponds and swamps without silt-rich flood deposits. It predominates in

cypress dome A cypress dome is a type of freshwater forested wetland, or a swamp, found in the southeastern part of the United States. They are dominated by the ''Taxodium spp''., either the bald cypress (''Taxodium distichum''), or pond cypress ('' Taxodium a ...

habitats.

Description

''Taxodium ascendens'' is classified as a perennial gymnosperm that is native to the southeastern United States.'' Taxodium ascendens'' reaches on average in height. Pond cypress are typically between 50 – 85 ft tall and 15–30 ft wide. Compared to ''T. distichum'', the leaves are shorter (3–10 mm long), slenderer and are on shoots that tend to be erect rather than spreading. The trunk is expanded at the base, even on young trees, assisting the tree in anchoring in the soft, muddy soil. The

cones In geometry, a cone is a three-dimensional figure that tapers smoothly from a flat base (typically a circle) to a point not contained in the base, called the ''apex'' or '' vertex''. A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines, ...

also tend to be smaller, not over 2.5 cm diameter. The pond cypress leaves are more needle-shaped (like the shaft of an awl or a screwdriver), in a spiral arrangement that stays close to the stem. The leaves are deciduous, simple, alternate, awl-like needles. Its cones are round, ovulate, between long. The bark is also a paler gray color. Cypresses are known for their prominent "knees" and buttressed trunks that define the species however ''Taxodium ascendens'' is less likely to have "knees" than ''Taxodium distichum''. Like bald cypresses, pond cypresses growing in water have a characteristic growth trait called

cypress knee A cypress knee is a distinctive structure forming above the roots of a cypress tree of any of various species of the subfamily Taxodioideae, such as the bald cypress. Their function is unknown, but they are generally seen on trees growing in swa ...

s; these are woody projections called '

pneumatophore Aerial roots are roots growing above the ground. They are often adventitious, i.e. formed from nonroot tissue. They are found in diverse plant species, including epiphytes such as orchids (''Orchidaceae''), tropical coastal swamp trees such ...

s', which are sent above the water from the roots.Due to the dry nature of the habitat for the pond cypress, it has developed thicker, fire resistant bark.

Distribution

This species is native to the

southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also known as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical List of regions in the United States, region of the United States located in the eastern portion of the Southern United States and t ...

, from southeastern

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

to southeastern

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

and south into

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

except for the

Florida Keys The Florida Keys are a coral island, coral cay archipelago off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami a ...

. Stunted individuals of pond cypress are notable in the dwarf cypress savanna of the

Everglades National Park Everglades National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States that protects the southern twenty percent of the original Everglades in Florida. The park is the largest tropical wilderness in the Un ...

. ''Taxodium ascendens'' is most frequently found in the southeastern United States ranging from

Habitat

''Taxodium ascendens'' occurs naturally in shallow

pond A pond is a small, still, land-based body of water formed by pooling inside a depression (geology), depression, either naturally or artificiality, artificially. A pond is smaller than a lake and there are no official criteria distinguishing ...

s, lake margins,

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

s and

wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

s. It prefers wet, poorly drained and acidic soils, at an altitude of above sea level. The pond cypress preferred habitat is along the banks of ponds and lakes where the water is stagnant. This tree is native to southern swamps,

bayou In usage in the Southern United States, a bayou () is a body of water typically found in a flat, low-lying area. It may refer to an extremely slow-moving stream, river (often with a poorly defined shoreline), marshy lake, wetland, or creek. They ...

s and rivers, and is known to tolerate extended periods of intense flooding. Pond cypress are most frequently found in isolated depressions fed by nutrient poor, shallow ground water. ''Taxodium ascendens'' grows easily in average, medium to wet, moisture-retentive but reasonably well-drained soils in full sun. It prefers moist, acidic, sandy soils, but tolerates a wide range of soil conditions ranging from average moisture soils to wet soils in standing water.

Taxonomy

''Taxodium ascendens'' was discovered and identified by botanist

Adolphe-Théodore Brongniart Adolphe-Théodore Brongniart () FRS FRSE FGS (14 January 1801 – 18 February 1876) was a French botanist. He was the son of the geologist Alexandre Brongniart and grandson of the architect, Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart. Brongniart's pioneerin ...

in 1833. The pond cypress is also known by other synonyms "''Taxodium'' ''distichum'' var. ''imbricatum'' (Nutt.) Croom" and "''Taxodium distichum'' var. ''ascendens'' (Brongn.) Mast."

Uses

''Taxodium ascendens'' is typically used for ornamental purposes or decoration in more urban environments unlike the bald cypress which can be used in heavy duty construction. Pond cypress are also used in wetland restoration and enhancement.

Ecology

Like many other large semiaquatic plants, ''Taxodium ascendens'' roots and trunk provides structural complexity to shelter to young aquatic animals such as the larvae of

amphibian Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniote, anamniotic, tetrapod, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class (biology), class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all Tetrapod, tetrapods, but excl ...

s and juvenile fish. Specifically the endangered flatwoods salamander will only lay their eggs in dry ponds populated with ''Taxodium ascendens''. ''Taxodium ascendens'' is susceptible to fires during the drier arid seasons where ponds lose the majority of their water but these trees have developed a thicker bark to better survive these conditions.

Etymology

The varietal name "imbricatum" means overlapping, in reference to the manner in which the leaves lie on the twigs. The term “ascendens” suggests the leaves that point or grow upward in an arching or curving fashion.

Conservation status

The pond cypress is considered "apparently secure" (S4) in

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

, "critically imperiled" (S1) in

, and "exotic" in

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

References

Flora of North America (as ''T. distichum'' var. ''imbricarium'')

Floridata

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q759873 ascendens Plants used in bonsai Trees of Northern America Deciduous conifers